Berry Peach Cobbler with a Lemon and Vanilla Crust

Summer break has come and gone already. It was not long ago we were eagerly counting down the days to spending two relaxing weeks in Gozo. Excited with anticipation of discovering a new country and just happy to know that the three of us would be together for the entire two weeks. I admit there was anxiety too. Anxiety knowing that the three of us sounds just right in theory but practically we were out of practice being together for such a long period.

Our routine had taken over our lives and although we seemed to be together, walking the same path, we moved ahead individually. Tom, busy from Mondays to Fridays in Stockholm, while Soeren and I created our own hub, tending to work, school, chores and projects in Weimar. Friday evenings were filled with elation and commotion as we looked forward to Tom’s arrival. Greeted at the door like a traveler who has been on a journey of a lifetime, we would gather around him waiting to hear of his adventures. Tom on the other hand, returned weary and disheartened, like a warrior coming home after fighting bureaucratic battles knowing that in two days time he would have to return to the battlefield.

How does one pack all that makes up a family into a weekend?

It’s difficult and it does not always work. While each one fights to get the attention from the other, at the same time each one flees to take time out to recuperate from the week gone.

“I know you often fall short,“ he said “sorry!”

Mostly I would shrug it off with my usual sense of humor, but sometimes I was resentful and would want to scream out “Yes I do!” and then pout for the rest of the day, even though I understood the reason. These conflicting emotions, I was certain, were felt by him too.

Therefore, the vacation was to be our sanctuary. A way to patch up the emotional holes made when we cross the valleys and climb the peaks of a partnership. The two weeks breezed past but they did us good as a family. We were inseparable; chattering, joking, laughing and soaking up being together.

We have fallen back into our routine again, tackling each week as it depletes into the next one, however we are holding on to the feeling that bonded us in those two weeks, trying hard that none of us falls short of each other.

The two weeks we have been back have passed by in a blur. I have been busy working on a photography project and a feature with a German magazine, while juggling Soeren’s switch to a German school and preparing for his birthday. He turns 9 tomorrow and is celebrating with his old and some new friends on Sunday so, my kitchen is abuzz.

In between there are other treats for the three of us. Sweet, baked treats that pull us together to enjoy the rich, juicy fruit summer offers. Berries and peaches have been plentiful this season and I love using them in crisps, clafoutis or cobblers. They are so irresistible and easy to prepare and make excellent use of fruits at the height of their season. Cobblers are purely sensational, fruit topped with a crust and baked, they are somewhere between a pie and scones. In my cobbler I used a plethora of berries and paired them with sweet peaches. The biscuit crust is buttery and tangy with a hint of lemon zest infused with rich vanilla, highlighting the fruit perfectly.

In a large mixing bowl mix fruit, berries, sugar and cornstarch together and allow the sugar to dissolve. Let sit for approx. 5 minutes. Transfer to the baking dish.

For topping

In a small bowl mix together flour, baking powder, fleur de sel. Set aside. In a large bowl beat butter and sugar with and electric whisk, until cream, smooth and fluffy. Add the egg, lemon zest, and vanilla and mix well.

Add the flour mixture and mix quickly until just moist and the dough begins to come together.

Spoon dough on top of the fruit, spacing evenly. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar.

Bake until topping is golden and juices are bubbling, about 45-50 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.

Serve with creamy vanilla ice cream.

Verdict

We are very definitely fruit and crust type of a family and the all American cobbler makes such a brilliant alternative to a pie. What I love about the cobbler is that it relies more on taste than fancy pastry making and while I have no grudges towards a pie crust, sometimes I just want to have maximum tasting pleasure rather than spend a lot of time kneading up the dough.

The muscovado sugar gives the fruit extra depth and a gorgeous caramel-like flavor making each bite irresistible. Vanilla and lemon accentuate the biscuit crust and a little sprinkling of the sugar over the crust just before it goes in the oven guarantees feather-light biscuits emphasized by a golden crunch.

The rest of the week here is going to be filled with a lot of chocolate and caramel as we celebrate a big 9! Hope you all have a fantastic weekend and enjoy your family!

40 comments:

This looks gorgeous Meeta. I love blackberries and there are buckets of them to be picked right now so we are stocking the freezer full.Our kids go back to school next week so a little bit of relaxing to be had this weekend and then back to blissful routine for us all!

I can only imagine how hard it can be at times having such busy lives and not being able to see each other face to face everyday... Glad your holiday was so good!And well, this dish again... can I have some? Please?

The lemon and vanilla crust is what caught my eye Meeta, and your day to day life is what captured my heart. For 10 years we struggled with the same lifestyle with my daughter and I carrying on during the week.

Oh I do love a good cobbler! There is something about the way that the dollops of pastry absorb the sweet fruity juices from below that is just irresistible. Gorgeous pics too - and pls give S a huge hug from his "Arnie John" tomorrow ;o)

Thank you all for the lovely wishes to Soeren's birthday - he feels really special after reading the comments. So glad you are all liking the cobbler recipe - I too love the hint of flavoring in the crust - it makes such a wonderful difference. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

As always your photos blow me away! Gorgeous. And I too love cobblers. It is so much easier than dealing with pie dough--even though I do have a soft spot for that too. I love the flavor combination of peaches and berries--yum! And the vanilla lemon crust sounds awesome. I have a feeling I could just eat spoonfuls of that.

Dear Meeta...following your blog for some time now -- my family has been stuck in a similar place for a while now -- thanks for sharing your thoughts, it helps to see what others do to cope with the situation, seeds for new great ideas...I think I'll bake a cobbler!Cheers!Roni

What a gorgeous space you have...I have spent the last two hours just looking at blogs with absolutely brilliant photography....yours is truely amazing and I really enjoyed reading your post. Lots to learn...I am now hooked on to your space..

I first tasted cobbler in my first year as a fresh new immigrant in the US at the home of friends in California and I remember the experience with delight; she had made a peach cobbler with wheat flour and honey and the contrast with the tangy fruit and vanilla ice-cream was a pure delight; love yours as it has the same qualities and of course photographs so well!

Thank you for visiting What's For Lunch, Honey? and taking time to browse through my recipes, listen to my ramblings and enjoy my photographs. I appreciate all your comments, feedback and input. I will answer your questions to my best knowledge and respond to your comments as soon as possible.

In the meantime I hope you enjoy your stay here and that I was able to make this an experience for your senses.

Hello, I am Meeta a freelance food photographer, stylist and writer living in the cuturally rich city of Weimar, Germany with my husband and our son, where I enjoy preparing multi-cultural home cooked meals with fresh organic ingredients. What's for lunch, Honey? is my award winning food blog where I combine my love for food with my love for photography and styling...